'Speechless' Is ABC's New Show Starring a Teen with Cerebral Palsy – Kveller
Skip to Content Skip to Footer

disabilities

‘Speechless’ Is ABC’s New Show Starring a Teen with Cerebral Palsy

ABC confirmed that is has now picked up “Speechless,” which is a new TV series featuring Micah Fowler, a teen actor with cerebral palsy. It will begin production this fall.

This isn’t Fowler’s first acting gig, as he previously appeared in the 2013 film “Labor Day.” In “Speechless,” however, he will star as JJ DiMeo, a nonverbal teenager who is the oldest of three children. Minnie Driver will be in the show playing his mom. Each episode will be 30 minutes long.

This past April, Fowler told The Mighty how important this opportunity is for him, stating:

“I am honored to have the opportunity to play the role of a down-to-earth normal teen living with the challenges of cerebral palsy… I hope as people watch “Speechless,” they get to know JJ as a very normal person, to the point that the don’t even see the disability.

I specifically hope to bring a huge amount of public awareness to cerebral palsy and most importantly, my hope is that the show will make people less uncomfortable around people with disabilities and more encouraged to interact with them, to look beyond the physical or other limitation and see the real person, the heart, the personality, the love and yes, even the humor.”

The pilot for “Speechless” will air in January–watch the preview for it below:


Read More:

I Took a Vacation By Myself And It Wasn’t What I Expected

4 Things You Should Do When Your Friend Loses a Spouse

Sheryl Sandberg Admits She Got It Wrong with ‘Lean In’


 

Skip to Banner / Top Skip to Content